{"id":1715,"date":"2026-06-01T19:35:51","date_gmt":"2026-06-01T19:35:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/denvermovingchronicle.com\/?p=1715"},"modified":"2026-06-01T19:35:51","modified_gmt":"2026-06-01T19:35:51","slug":"perry-colorados-lone-anti-union-scheme-remains-as-a-stain-on-state-democracy-fairness","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/denvermovingchronicle.com\/?p=1715","title":{"rendered":"PERRY: Colorado\u2019s lone anti-union scheme remains as a stain on state democracy, fairness"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

It takes little imagination or insight to understand how outrageous it would be for voters to have to elect candidates or approve ballot questions not once, but twice, just to \u201cmake sure\u201d that voters were sure about their decisions.<\/p>\n

It would be even more odious if the requirement to elect any candidate or approve any ballot question required 75% of voters to approve a candidate or question at the second election.<\/p>\n

Given that, it\u2019s easy to understand why thousands of workers and their supporters across the state are vexed by a problem that plagues only Colorado. The dilemma stems from Colorado requiring unionization elections to be repeated before they become official, and the second time, they must meet a 75% approval threshold.<\/p>\n

Before you muster your feelings about unions, or consider how good or bad the twice-vote scheme is \u2014 good for anti-union business or anti-union workers \u2014 consider how critical and strong unionization rights have been in the United States for far more than a century.<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

During the late 1800s, industrialization brought workers mercilessly long hours, low wages and dangerous working conditions. Children were forced to work as long as 14 hours a day. Early labor organizations, including the American Federation of Labor, pushed for better treatment but faced regular resistance from employers and government officials, siding with wealthy business owners. Major labor conflicts, such as the Haymarket crisis in 1886, the Homestead Strike of 1892 and the Pullman Strike of 1894, highlighted tensions between industry leaders and workers, many of whom died from their jobs.<\/p>\n

A landmark turning point came in 1935 with the National Labor Relations Act, also known as the Wagner Act. The law guaranteed most private-sector workers the right to form unions, engage in collective bargaining and participate in concerted activities for mutual aid and protection.<\/p>\n

The right to unionize has long been recognized as nearly constitutional \u2014 except in Colorado.<\/p>\n

Rich with mines, Colorado has long shunned the national trends and now is the only state that still allows rules that are nothing but union-busting relics.<\/p>\n

In conservative, \u201cright-to-work\u201d states like Texas, one vote resulting in a simple majority of worker approval, 50% plus one person, creates a union. And like in Colorado and other \u201cright to work\u201d states, no employee can be forced to join or pay union dues.<\/p>\n

For the past two years, state lawmakers have voted convincingly to repeal the shoddy requirement. This year, lawmakers backed House Bill 1005 to level the playing field, and both times, Gov. Jared Polis has vetoed the repeal. His most recent repeal was Friday.<\/p>\n

Polis said he wanted business and labor unions to come to some sort of agreement on the issue.<\/p>\n

Why would anti-union, pro-business factions give up the nation\u2019s only nearly guaranteed union-prevention law or agree to diminish it when they have an iron-clad way to preserve it?<\/p>\n

They would not.<\/p>\n

And until the legislature can muster the votes to override another veto, or the next governor sees how this bill is nothing more than righting a grievous and anti-democratic wrong, anti-labor factions will win.<\/p>\n

The average unionized laborer\u2019s salary is about $40,000 a year in metro Denver, far below the average salary of $75,000 of all employees, according to state labor reports. Union and non-union workers are subject to the same market forces that set all wages across the state.<\/p>\n

HB 1005 didn\u2019t curry favor with unions or attempt to give pro-union forces an unfair advantage. It simply worked to bring this one-sided, unjustified and undemocratic swindle to an end.<\/p>\n

If the fair-labor bars are only as high as the ones in Texas, Wyoming, North Dakota and every other state, and Colorado can\u2019t meet the bar, something\u2019s very wrong and needs to be made right.<\/p>\n

Follow @EditorDavePerry on BlueSky, Threads,\u00a0<\/em>Mastodon,<\/em>\u00a0Twitter<\/em>\u00a0and<\/em>\u00a0Facebook<\/em>\u00a0or reach him at 303-750-7555 or\u00a0<\/em>dperry@SentinelColorado.com<\/em>\n<\/p>\n

Read more POLMAN: Conservatives used to preach good morals. Now they splash in the sewer<\/a><\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

Read more Colorado elections clerk released from Pueblo prison after Gov. Polis commutes her sentence<\/a><\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

Read more Colorado elections clerk set to be released from prison Monday based on her sentence commutation<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

It takes little imagination or insight to understand how outrageous it would be for voters to have to elect candidates or approve ballot questions not once, but twice, just to \u201cmake sure\u201d that voters were sure about their decisions. 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